By Our Correspondents in Strasbourg
URSULA von der Leyen, who was re-elected European Commission President today (Thursday) has pledged to double the size of Europol to tackle financial crime.
It was critical the agency become operational to take on the crime bosses, the Commission chief said.
“Organised criminal networks are infiltrating our economy; most of them use corruption. They are causing fear and innocent people’s death with their brutal violence,” Mrs von der Leyen (VDL) told MEPs in Strasbourg.
“They earn enormous amounts of money from drug trafficking, ransomware, fraud, trafficking in human beings and they are not limited by national borders,” VDL added.
It was therefore is necessary to respond to this growing threat on a European level.
“We must make sure that police can work across Europe without borders. This is why I will propose to double Europol’s staff and strengthen its mandate. I want Europol to become a truly operational police agency,” the re-elected EU Commission President said.
Security was not only about external threats as cyber and hybrid threats were growing – particularly the threat from Russia.
“Our Eastern Border in particular has become a target for hybrid attacks and provocations. Russia is luring migrants from Yemen up north and pushing them deliberately against the Finnish border,” she revealed.
Europe’s borders would have to be strengthened. “This is part of the reason why we must strengthen Frontex. To make it more effective, while fully respecting fundamental rights, I will propose to triple the number of European border and coastguards to 30,000,” she said
“More secure borders will also help us to manage migration in a more structured and fair way. The Migration and Asylum Pact is a huge step forward. We put solidarity at the heart of our common response. Migration challenges need a European response with a fair and firm approach based on our values.
“Always remembering that migrants are human beings like you and me. And all of us, we are protected by human rights. Many pessimists thought that migration was too divisive to agree on. But we proved them wrong. Together we made it. And we have emerged stronger from it.
“Now, we must collectively focus on implementation and on supporting Member States in making it a reality on the ground. And there will be more to do.
“We need a common approach on returns, to make them more effective and dignified. And we need to develop our comprehensive partnerships, in particular across our Southern neighbourhood.
“The Mediterranean region should get undivided attention. This is why I will appoint a Commissioner for the region, and propose a new Agenda for the Mediterranean together with Kaja Kallas. Because the future of the two Mediterranean shores is one and the same,” the Commission President said.
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